Mount Fuji Begins Its Last Major Eruption
In the early 18th century, Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate experienced relative stability after earlier periods of warfare, but natural disasters posed ongoing threats to agriculture and population centers. Mount Fuji, a sacred and prominent volcano on Honshu island, had been dormant for centuries prior. On December 16, 1707, during the Hoei era, the volcano erupted explosively from a new vent on its southeastern flank, ejecting vast quantities of ash, pumice, and scoria in a Plinian-style event. The eruption continued intermittently until February 1708, blanketing eastern Japan with ash layers up to several feet thick in places and triggering landslides. Immediate effects included respiratory issues, crop failures, and famine across affected regions, though no direct lava flows occurred.
Why it matters: The Hoei eruption demonstrated the volcanic risks even to seemingly stable landscapes and prompted long-term changes in land use and disaster awareness in Japan. It remains the most recent confirmed activity at Mount Fuji, influencing geological studies and hazard planning for one of the world's most iconic volcanoes into the modern era.